Virtually all residential and commercial construction includes smoke detectors and air conditioning control units. These devices are almost always mounted externally on an interior wall, protruding several inches from the surface of the wall. In addition, residential construction typically includes doorbell chime boxes, which also protrude from the wall. External, wall-mounted devices are not only unaesthetic, they can cause injury to a passerby. They are also against the trend of modern construction, which is toward smooth interior wall surfaces with as few protrusions as possible.
It is commonplace to flush-mount electrical outlets inside both commercial and residential buildings. Typically, the outlet is coupled to a stud, and it is exposed through an opening in the drywall. A plate is then secured over the electrical box to hide its contents; i.e., these receptacles are not flush-mounted with trim. Light switches are similarly mounted.
A need exists for a self-trimming in-wall receptacle having a storage area and being capable of being inserted into an opening in a wall and coupled to the wall, while at the same time the receptacle has a trim that is dimensioned to cover the edge of the opening.
The present invention satisfies these needs and provides other, related advantages.